Some 500 Cambodian school children on the march during a ceremony to mark World Against Child Labour Day in Phnom Penh yesterday.

They urged parents to send their children to school rather than forcing them to work.

The World Bank said that last year, about 1.5 million Cambodians under the age of 14 were forced to work, often in hazardous conditions.

Mr Chey Chab, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Education, told marchers that the government was working to prevent the children from being exploited.

He called on the people to 'take care, protect, and think of the interests of children'.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jun 13, 2008